Bargain Shop From Your Phone with PatPat!

Thanks to PatPat for sponsoring today's discussion, regardless all opinions expressed below are my own.

With a little baby on the way, I've been trying to cut corners and save a dollar anywhere I can. From scouring through second hand stores to browsing online sales, I've always got my eyes peeled for the best deals and I've luckily been able to save us quite a bit of money!

Since my eye for sales is super strong, I'm also trying to find the best apps to search for deals while I'm on the go. From using coupons while checking out at department stores to finding new ways to shop, I like to think I'm on the up & up when it comes to using my phone to score a bargain! That's why I've been using PatPat for a while now and when they asked me to share my love for the app with you, I knew I had to share my little secret...

PatPat is an app that has changed the way I shop for our little gal. Instead of having to search high and low for the best deals on cloth diapers, I can simply click on the app and find a great variety of styles! I'll be honest and admit I bought 3 the day I found out I was pregnant... if you're a fellow cloth addict, you know it's hard to not buy a stash of adorable diapers for a great deal!

Plus, I love that I'm always able to find an excellent bargain on clothing whenever I want to buy adorable & unique clothes for our little baby girl and my nieces & nephews!

They don't just specialize in baby items though, PatPat has a whole section dedicated to women and our passion for fashion! From the cutest maternity clothing to the best swimwear, I can always find something adorable to add to my wardrobe!

The fun doesn't stop there for adults though, they also have a beauty section... which is how I found the app! When I was browsing for beauty blenders I had a friend recommend the app and I instantly fell in love, with stellar deals on items you could spend an arm & a leg on elsewhere... Any beauty product junkie will be overjoyed when they find the items they've been searching for at a great discount!

While everything is usually sold at a great price to start with, another reason I love PatPat so much is the Flash Sales they offer. Sometimes you can score a dollar amount off, sometimes they run specials on just diapers but the sales are amazing, it all depends on the day and all you have to do to snag the sale is click on the app!

Interested in seeing what PatPat has on sale today? You can download the app for Apple here or for Android here!

Trendy Headbands for Your Little Fashionista from Rug Belly Boutique!

BIG thanks to Rug Belly Boutique for sending over a handful of headbands to include in my Baby Shower Gift Guide, regardless all opinions expressed below are completely my own!

If you've been following the blog, then you know I'm expecting a girl in September... which means I'm also stocking up on clothing and accessories because that's what every little diva needs in her life, right?!

While there's a million different items I want to stock up on before my princess arrives, I knew I needed to add a few adorable little headwraps and top-knot headbands to her growing collection of cuteness! So when I found Lauren's Rug Belly Boutique on Etsy, I instantly fell in love!

Her shop is full of the cutest, trendiest hippie-inspired headbands on the market and I love that my little girl will look like a true fashionista while she's sporting her new headbands from the shop!

Ranging in size from 0-3 months all the way up to 4T (with custom sizes available as well), you can rest assured Rug Belly has the style of headband you'll want for your little darling for years to come! Plus, the super soft fabric won't be a bother to your babe's head, a huge win for both you and your little!

Not only does Rug Belly sell some of the cutest headbands, they also carry some pretty adorable rompers! I guess you could say Rug Belly is a one stop, ultra hip shop for all little divas needing to accessorize and I'll be honest, I can't wait for my girl to be here so I can make sure she's always rocking one of these adorable and super soft headbands!

Are you interested in staying up to date with your new favorite accessory shop for your little gal? Follow Rug Belly on Instagram and be sure to add Rug Belly boutique to your Etsy favorites today!

Interested in finding more awesome items for babies and new mamas?
Click here to check out my Baby Shower Gift Guide!

Redecorating? You'll Find Everything You Need (and more) at Big Lots!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ICantEven #BigLots #CollectiveBias

I like to consider myself an interior designer of sorts, but I've always loved finding an awesome bargain. Whether I'm searching for new pieces of wall art or looking for big pieces of furniture for the house, I like to find nice things for a steal of a deal. That's why when we were searching for a new place this summer, I knew I wanted a Big Lots nearby so it could be decorated well without breaking the bank. Luckily, we found the perfect house with a Big Lots only a few blocks away and since styles and assortment vary by store, I'm glad the location by us is an awesome one with a HUGE furniture department.

With one of my favorite stores within walking distance, I'm always finding awesome deals and grabbing new things for our place. Our fridge is stocked full of water from Big Lots, we snack on some of the awesome foods we find there, and we even redecorate on a regular basis with all of the adorable stuff I find there!

After we moved into the new place, I knew it was time to start redecorating with the help of Big Lots. Our house just wasn't feeling like us anymore and I wanted something more neutral and casual, yet still chic.

We've had an over sized ottoman for a few years now and while it's made an amazing table, I was ready to try something new. While I didn't go too far from the original concept, the open feel of this Espresso Ottoman from Big Lots is perfect. Plus, I get to decorate with little succulents and other pretty little things on the bottom part of the bench.

We also bought 6 pillows because they have an AMAZING deal on their home decor items right now and well, because I may be a bit of a pillow-lover. I stocked up on some of the most adorable designs, fluffy and modern - two things I need more of in my life. With frilly, fluffy pillows in cream and tan and a wonderful modern cream and tan printed pillow, I think I found the perfect neutral shades that blend perfectly with our home and our couch.

To add some nice little final touches on our living room makeover, I added a dreamy glass candle holder with a wonderful vanilla candle as well as a pot for succulents underneath - I have yet to plant the succulents but I think I'll work on that this week in between visits to Big Lots! I also added some wall decor and I'm still trying to decide on what to do with the rest of the walls in the room.

I've been going through stages with our living room and I was really unsure of what to do with all of  the wall space. I think I like the simplicity of the starburst mirrors and may add a canvas or two on the other wall and leave my simple, modern living room the way it is.

Now that I've shared how I completely redecorated our living room in one quick visit to Big Lots, I'd love to hear what you have your eye on at your Big Lots store? I'm thinking our next purchase will include one of the beautiful, detailed headboards they sell or maybe some more wall art for the rest of the house; with all of the items they carry, I never know what my next Big Lots inspired project will be! I'm so excited by the possibilities, I can't even...

Tips and Tricks for Thrift Store Shopping: Thrift Store Scores!

Some people are too proud to admit they shop at the thrift store, I'm the opposite of those people. I love bragging about the deals I find and I tend to go shopping at our local stores about once a week, sometimes every other week.

I skipped last week and decided I had to go this week for an upcoming project and I scored all kinds of deals. Everything I bought is in perfect condition and I spent less than $30 on all of the clothing AND 2 little DIY projects from the home goods sections and the one tiny thing I originally went shopping for happened to only cost be a quarter! Life is good when you are thrifty and I'm definitely not shy about all of the awesome items I find while I'm hunting for a bargain.

This week, I chose pieces that were made for me. It's weird, normally I have a cart full of stuff to try on but this week I only had the items I bought. It's nice to be able to recognize when things are going to fit you while out shopping, I know other lady shoppers know the excitement when everything they choose from a rack fits perfectly - it's like a "she shoots, she scores" type of moment if we're relating shopping to sports so the men-folk understand.

Well, today I want to share my loot I came home with from the Salvation army and a few tips on how you can make the most out of your next thrifting trip. While these photos aren't the best quality... I took them as a storm was rolling in so the lighting was off. Regardless, I think I'll make my thrift store scores into a regular post, because shopping is something I do pretty well - I might as well share my knowledge with you and hopefully I can learn a thing or two from my fellow thrift store lovers!

Tip number one is based on this Audrey 3+1 Red Lace Mini Dress. Don't be afraid of certain colors, no matter what. I used to think red wasn't my color, I've always insisted I look bad in the color... and well, I guess I take that statement back.

I love this red lace dress and the only reason I decided to try it on is the fun and fantastic cut. What's not pictured here is the back with a little low back and loop clasp detail, it's adorable. I can't wait to rock this number with a pair of stockings and heels for Florida winter festivities!

While I'll be feeling fantastic in my new red frock, I want to remind you to think outside your normal fashion box while thrift store shopping. Try on unusual floral patterns, funky frocks with short hemlines, and oddball items; after all, that one-of-a-kind piece of clothing could be made for you!

Tip number two is centered around my White and Black Stripe 3/4 Sleeve Top with Neon Trim I picked up this week.

This adorable top is so simple, yet so cute; so my tip is to add basics with a twist to your wardrobe. I love the neon yellow hem line detail and the comfort level on this white and black striped top is through the roof; this top has been added to my closet because it's classic, comfortable, and adds a tiny pop of color - the three things I suggest you look for in clothing while you are thrift store shopping, whether you find these attributes all in one item or separate, they all are important to take note of while shopping!

Tip three is based on this H&M Divided Cream Lace Crop Top and it's a typical piece of advice: Step outside your comfort zone. In all aspects of life, you shouldn't allow yourself to remain "comfortable" with one set way of doing things. For me, this meant learning to accept my body and love it enough to feel comfortable exposing my belly in a crop top. For others, this could mean exposing your legs in a pair of shorts or maybe even going sleeveless for some. Learning to love your body means that you feel comfortable in a lot more, including things that were formerly no's. I'm so happy to have found this awesome crop top for such a great deal, now I can expose my belly when I see fit and I feel awesome doing it. You should give it a try, no matter your shape or size!

Tip four is based on this adorable Lauren Conrad Silver Sequin Dress, I have no where to wear this number but I bought it anyways because it's a good deal and it looks pretty amazing on me, if I don't say so myself.

My bit of advice regarding this new addition to my wardrobe is to buy things that you love, even if you don't have a place to wear them, yet. It may sound silly or indulgent to buy things when you aren't sure if you'll need them, I hear that... but I bought this dress anyways because I feel amazing in it. If you try something on, fall in love with it, but aren't sure if you'll ever wear it... buy it anyways! You never know what events will come up in your life or when you'll need a fancy party dress. I'm hoping for a fun and fancy date night soon or maybe a super-glam night out with the girls!

Outside of all the clothing tips I've shared today, here's the fifth and final piece of advice. This time I'm talking about the home goods section of your store. Always think about what could be.

I grabbed two amazing little mirrors and can't wait to show you where they end up in our house. I have the perfect spot in mind and with a little spray paint, I think they'll fit perfectly!

I also grabbed these cool vintage drawings, mainly for the frames they are in though. I love and respect the art but plan to make these into an awesome project. Some spray paint, a few printables, and a little bit of windex and I'll have a whole new set of art! That's what I love about looking at things with a unique perspective, I'm always able to find something cool and make it into something unique and fun and so incredibly us...

So now that I've shared some thrift store shopping secrets, I'd love to hear your tips and tricks of the thrifting trade! Tell me all about your perfect thrifty find or your strategies when shopping in the comments below!

The Perfect Gift for Every Girl: Spirit Lockets Personalized Jewelry

While I'm a huge fan of Spirit Lockets regardless of my connections, I need to disclose that the links listed below are my affiliate links. I sell these cute little lockets without investing anything other than my time and you can too, find out more about the affiliate program by clicking here.

I don't know about you, but I'm one of those people that want to give the best gift ever, for every occasion, to everyone. Whether it's my bestie celebrating her birthday or my mama celebrating the move to her new place, I want to reward my family and friends with the best presents possible.

The thing is, I sometimes have trouble finding that perfect present for everyone on my list. Sometimes you just want to express how much you love someone through a gift and when it comes from a store, pre-packaged, I feel like I can't find the right way to express myself. That's where Spirit Lockets come into the picture, they aren't cookie cutter necklaces but personalized creations for everyone in your life...


I want to shout it from the roof tops, Spirit Lockets are the perfect gift for everyone... They are so cute, so affordable, and so much fun to personalize! Whether your best friend just tied the knot or your grandmother is celebrating being cancer free for yet another year, they have a charm for every occasion and a locket perfect for everyone! Necklaces or bracelets, gold or silver, rhinestones or rustic, polished or punk, there's a little bit of everything!

I love the variety of charms they offer, making necklaces for all ages a possibility and also making designs so unique, for each and every woman in your life! I think my next creation will be for a certain mermaid loving lady in my life, my mama. She deserves to be spoiled and I know with charms like the one's shown below, I can make her something so beachy she'll be keen on it for years to come!

So, if you haven't already, now is the time to check out the most adorable accessories on the market and spoil yourself and your favorite gal-pal with something fabulous! Head on over to Spirit Lockets and let me know which necklace design is your favorite and what charms you would love to add in your locket in the comments below!

Interested in joining me
& becoming part of the Spirit Lockets team?
Check out how you can earn money and sell adorable lockets without any investment here.

Life Lately: Floods, Fishing, Finally Some Sunshine, & Fabulous Deals from Albertsons Anniversary Sale

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #AHugeSale #CollectiveBias #Albertsons

In case you haven't heard, it's been raining nearly non-stop in Tampa lately. Neighborhoods have flooded and people have been photographed floating along main streets in rafts and kayaks and I think I even saw a video of a man catching a catfish on a sidewalk. Life has been full of lots of rain... So as you can imagine, living in a city right outside of Tampa means that I've been subjected to weather that you would expect from Oregon or Washington, not the "Sunshine State". After almost two weeks FULL of rain, the sun finally decided to show up on my husband's day off! We couldn't even believe it and immediately decided to head to head to the beach and soak up some rays!

As always, we decided to stop off and grab some of our essentials to make sure we stay hydrated. We stopped at Albertsons when we noticed they are having an epic anniversary sale and saved big money! Can you believe that Albertsons has been around for 76 years?! Whether you are restocking your pantry or filling your fridge with party essentials, all of the awesome deals going on at my store had me overfilling our cart with goodness!

With all of my favorite sodas, teas, and even water on sale, I couldn't pass up any of it! We were able to buy Diet Mountain Dew for me and Pepsi made with real sugar and two packs of Mountain Dew Throwback for my hubby for $10. Let me say this a little clearer, we bought 4 - 12 packs of our absolute favorite types of soda for only $10! I felt like I won the lottery while I loaded the soda into the cart.

After we stocked up on all of our carbonated essentials, I noticed that my favorite tea was on sale as well! SCORE!

Then hubby pointed out that the Gatorade was on sale as well, so of course we grabbed a few packages of his favorite flavor. So as you can imagine, we nearly squealed with delight when we noticed that Aquafina was on sale too! We love finding a good bargain, especially on our way to the beach!

After completely making sure that our hydration needs were met, it was time to head to the beach and boy was it a glorious time!

We fished for hours, we chit-chatted about our future, we played games, we read books, we giggled, we instagrammed, and we snapchatted. I had a delicious Diet Mixed Berry Green Tea, he had a Gatorade, and we soaked up the sun with huge smiles on our faces.

He even got a little creative with his Pepsi, unintentionally, while we were reeling in a big ol' fish (side note: we thought we had a big fish until we realized our line was just stuck). Since he reel our "big fish"in while I went to grab the camera to document our capture, he quickly placed his Pepsi on the closest thing next to him. Since the fish didn't actually exist and I had the camera in hand ready to shoot, I started snapping shots of the Pepsi instead and thought they turned out pretty nifty! Who would've thought? He's a master with photo props!

All in all, from getting great deals on all of our favorite beverages to having a good laugh about our "big fish", it was the best day we've had in a long time. It's the little things, and on the beach, with your love, the little things are always the best!

I'm so happy to share that it's sunny in Tampa again today and we are packing up our cooler to head back out to the beach shortly! Although we've heard rumors that the rain may return later this week, we are overjoyed to finally have the chance to run around and catch some rays with our favorite drinks in hand! Maybe we'll even be able to squeeze in a few more beach days before school starts!

What's your favorite thing to do when it's raining outside? Do you love to throw a party, build a blanket fort, or maybe spend the entire day watching movies? Are you a beach go-er when the sun is shining or are you more likely to spend time under a tree reading a book? I'd love to hear how you spent your week, rain or shine in the comments below!

Don't forget that you'll want to stock up on your favorite drinks before it's too late! Head on over to Albertsons before 8/11 and check out all the amazing deals you can find during their HUGE Anniversary sale! Even if you don't have an Albertsons location nearby you, you may be lucky enough to have one of their banner stores like Safeway, Jewel-Osco, Shaws! Keep you eye out for their anniversary sale as well.

Some Days Just Call For a Tutu & Heels...

Thanks to Shabby Apple for providing me with an adorable tulle skirt.

Some days just call for a tutu and a pair of heels, today is one of those days. It's not a special occasion, I have no where to be, but today definitely felt like a tutu-wearing type of day. Running around my office, working on upcoming projects, and wearing this skirt has made for a pretty sweet day - it's nice to feel pretty and a bit snazzy while going about an ordinary work day.

As you can tell, I'm in love with my new tulle skirt; paired with all different types of shirts and a wide variety of shoes, I can wear this little number all different kinds of ways! This time around I opted to wear my beautiful violet purple tutu with a frilly black shirt I purchased at a thrift store and a pair of Nina heels that I've had for many, many moons.

Next time I can picture myself rocking it with my kitten eye sunglasses and a cropped leather jacket and boots of some sort or maybe something simple like a cardigan and ballet flats... either way, I can't wait to rock this tulle skirt over and over again. If you're wondering where I snagged this beautiful skirt, you'll need to check out Shabby Apple! I love everything they carry, a little bit of everything from beautiful accessories to perfectly pretty tutus, they've got it all. Plus, these gorgeous skirts come in a huge variety of colors and lengths, so I'm sure you'll be able to find the perfect tulle skirt (and more) to add to your wardrobe!

Do you ever have days that just call for something ridiculously girly for no particular reason? Where would you wear a tutu?